NEW YORK (WABC) — South Asians are 50% less likely to have access to mental health services than any other demographic, and Gaya Therapy in Midtown Manhattan is working to change that.
This team is made up of therapists of South Asian descent, and our shared cultural background allows us to connect with our clients and provide a space of understanding that many have never experienced before.
As Gaya Kodiyaram grew up, he was torn between two worlds. Although she was the daughter of immigrants from South India, she was also a child raised in New Jersey.
“It was really hard to feel a sense of belonging,” Kodiyaram said. “I often felt alone, lonely and anxious because I never really found my footing.”
It was therapy that helped her untangle some of her emotions and see how her family’s culture, norms, and expectations all played a role.
When Kodiyaram began working in the mental health field, he realized the need for South Asian therapists, people who could connect with specific cultural struggles.
Thus, Gaya Therapy was born in midtown Manhattan.
“We understand the nuances, we understand how difficult it is, we understand the taboos and some of the shame and anxiety and fear around it, because we ourselves may have experienced it. ” Kodiyaram said. “We’re often taught to rationalize or organize our emotions rationally. So when you’re angry or sad, your parents’ reaction is, ‘ It’s often like, “Well, let’s not feel that, let’s just distract ourselves and deal with it later.” But getting to that part doesn’t really happen. ”
Kodiyaram and his team of seven therapists focus on the mind-body connection. For many of our clients, this is their first time opening like this.
Tamanna Ahmad knows firsthand how important that comfort is. She is the child of immigrants and faced similar struggles in finding her therapist.
Now, as a member of the Gaya team, she is breaking down generational stigma around mental health in the South Asian community.
“Many of our families have been in survival mode for a long time, and being able to do the work of slowing down, processing, reflecting, and course-correcting when necessary feels both a privilege and a responsibility to me. ” said Ahmad.
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